86 [EB Series] Activating Hiring Managers to Transform Recruitment | Martin Warren (ex-Grab)

In this episode of the VMJPod's Employer Brand Series — recorded live in Singapore — hosts David Macciocca and Emma Lang sit down with Martin Warren, former Head of Talent Sourcing at Grab, to unpack how activating hiring managers can dramatically transform your recruitment and sourcing results. Drawing on 25+ years in recruitment and seven years building and running the sourcing function at one of Southeast Asia's most iconic tech companies, Martin shares how his team achieved reply rates of up to 80% by flipping the script on traditional outreach — putting hiring managers front and centre rather than relying solely on recruiters. He also explores how to build a scalable sourcing engine, engage passive talent, and create the internal buy-in needed to make it all stick. For recruiters, employer brand practitioners, and talent acquisition leaders looking for practical ways to unlock new sourcing channels and get more from their hiring managers, this episode is full of real-world lessons from a high-growth, high-speed environment. Key Topics: 02:00 – Martin's background and building the sourcing function at Grab 05:30 – Why speed was the driving force behind Grab's sourcing strategy 08:00 – Sending outreach from hiring managers: how it works and why it delivers 12:00 – Going from 25% to 80% reply rates — the numbers behind the approach 15:30 – Making passive candidates feel special and seen 20:00 – Building a business case and getting hiring manager buy-in 26:00 – Coaching hiring managers to sell the role and handle candidate questions 31:00 – How employer brand content supports passive talent pipelines 36:00 – The talent advisory mindset: screening in, not out 40:00 – Targeting A and B-grade talent with consistent, authentic messaging 42:30 – Where to start if you don't have a dedicated sourcing team